Stand with all bullied kids

Keaton, a sixth-grader at Horace Maynard Middle School in Maynardville in Union County, sparked a national conversation about bullying after a video of him went viral over the weekend.
Angela Gosnell/News Sentinel

Older student bullying younger student(Photo:
Getty Images
)

Story Highlights

We are still faced with a terrible problem of bullying that has damaged children.

State and local officials should be reviewing current anti-bullying policies to ensure they work.

Born with a tumor, according to his mother, the boy said he is a target of bullies because of his appearance, and he is afraid.

"It's not OK!" Keaton said. "People that are different don't need to be criticized about it. It's not their fault. But if you are made fun of, don't let it bother you. They suck I guess. Hard. But it will probably get better one day."

Meet Keaton Jones a very smart little boy who is being bullied at school. This video is heartbreaking!! I want to bring Keaton to Vegas and hang out at UFC Headquarters. If anyone knows how i can reach the family please let me know. Thank u everyone pic.twitter.com/BR8c4ldDFc

Even if that is so, the Tennessee Department of Education, state school board, local school boards, directors and principals should be reviewing current anti-bullying policies to ensure they are working as they should, and if not, to retool them.

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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's police department was the first to respond to the Dec. 11, 2017, explosion. The cartoonist's homepage, indystar.com/opinion/varvel Gary Varvel, The Indianapolis Star

Mississippi state Rep. John Moore was chairman of the Mississippi House Education Committee until Dec. 9, 2017. The cartoonist's homepage, clarionledger.com/opinion Marshall Ramsey, The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger

East Mississippi Community College, aka "Last Chance U," won the National Junior College Athletic Association's football championship. The cartoonist's homepage, clarionledger.com/opinion Marshall Ramsey, The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger

Florida State Sen. Jack Latvala, a Republican from Clearwater, Fla., is Senate budget chairman, has been in office since 1994 and is running for governor. The cartoonist's homepage, pnj.com/opinion Andy Marlette, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal

Bullies need to be held accountable for bad behavior, and school should not be a place that scares children.

Another part of the solution is modeling the type of behavior that we want others to emulate.

And it should continue to be about encouraging kids like Keaton while also giving them the tools to navigate a world that is not always safe, as much as we would like it to be.

But let’s be proud that so many stood with Keaton.

Will you stand with him and all the other children like him, too?

Opinion and Engagement Editor David Plazas wrote this editorial on behalf of The Tennessean Editorial Board and the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.